The wisdom of James Carville

There is a crowded field of deputy leader canidates right now. Campaign launches are as regular as the 59 bus. So I was a little taken aback to see so many launches in the centre of London. You would have thought that after Gordon Brown’s launch, other candidates would get out of the Capital or at least out of the media centres and Westminster.

James Carville once gave a quotation that though aimed at Democrats is as true for Labour people (and Cameronistas for that matter) in London:

“I believe that in the 180 days prior to any election, candidates should be required to stay away from cocktail parties, dinner parties, or any social event that occurs in the following areas: Georgetown, Foxhall, Spring Valley, Bethesda, Old Town Alexandria, McLean, and Chevy Chase….and other bastions of stupidity inside the Washington Beltway. One of the reason Tom Delay is so successful is that he doesn’t give a damn what any people in any of these neighborhoods think. Democrats tend to become completely parayzed by it. I can’t tell you the number of times in a Democratic meeting where someone says that such and such was said at so and so’s dinner party, and that the deputy assistant to the associate editorial page editor at the Wahington Post rolled her eyes. Everybody freaks out. For reasons not completely understandable to me, the effect is far greater on Democrats than Republicans. This is a disease we must cure ourslves of.”